The Kampala Archdiocesan Land Board has responded to allegations of land grabbing and unlawful title transfer in connection with the burial of the late Maria Thereza Nakibuuka, a devoted Catholic and longtime member of the Legion of Mary.
In a detailed interview held at Lubaga Cathedral, Rev. Fr. Mark Richard Ssajjabi, head of the Archdiocesan Land Board, expressed regret over the controversy surrounding Nakibuuka’s final resting place.
He firmly asserted that the land in question had been legally and willingly donated to the Church, with comprehensive documentation to support the claim.
“We have the paperwork from the donation deed and the signed land title transfer to a letter of appreciation from the then Archbishop acknowledging the gift,” Fr. Ssajjabi stated. “It is unfair to claim that the Catholic Church grabbed land when the donor, in her full faculties, gave it willingly.”
Fr. Ssajjabi clarified that the donation was formalized in 2017, with the land title transferred to the Registered Trustees of the Archdiocese of Kampala for religious development.
Although the property was donated for use by the Legion of Mary, a Catholic Lay Apostolate, it was registered under the Archdiocese due to its location.
These clarifications come in response to claims by some family members who alleged that Nakibuuka had only entrusted the land title to the Church for safekeeping.
Tensions escalated when family members reportedly obstructed burial plans on the donated land, asserting that the Church had no rightful claim to it.
Some went further to accuse the Church of having sold the land twice accusations Fr. Ssajjabi described as “false and disheartening.”
Fr. Ssajjabi also revealed that a meeting with the family was held shortly after Nakibuuka’s death, during which he promised to re-engage the Legion of Mary to seek an amicable resolution.
However, before discussions could progress, the matter was brought to national media, where accusations of land theft quickly became headlines.
By Francis Jjunju
13th June 2025
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